Archive for
January 2nd, 2009
Stories
Palestine: “The earthquake in Gaza is unnatural, it's called Israel”
Gaza's bloggers describe welcoming in 2009 with the sound of F16s and “special fireworks”, and a foreign activist explains why she has no intention of leaving.
Adham Khalil from Jabaliya Camp, who blogs at Free Free Palestine, posts a text message he received with special greetings:
Ibrahim a friend sent me a message on my mobile said : look outside .. F16 warplanes are smiling for you, missiles are dancing for you, “Zanannaa” the discovery planes are singing for you, because I have requested them all wishing you “Happy New Year”
Mohammed Ali, who works for Oxfam UK, writes on the Oxfam blog from his home in Gaza City:
Around midnight, Israeli jets hit the Palestinian Legislative Council building, 1km away from my home. Needless to say, we were not celebrating this entry into the New Year. I received calls from friends in Europe telling me that in solidarity with Gazans, they were not going to celebrate. I pleaded with them to go out, and to enjoy themselves because they could. My friend in France called to say that she was thinking about my family, in the background I could hear the sounds of fireworks exploding, people laughing and celebrating. At the same moment, the sounds of explosions shook my home and my children cried out. I felt both happy and sad. Happy because I knew that there were people outside of Gaza who had not forgotten about us, sad thinking of all the Gazans who would be spending this New Year shaking from fear in their homes, mourning their loved ones. I asked myself, do we not deserve to be happy and enjoy the New Year as much as any other human?
Natalie Abou Shakra is a Lebanese activist who posts at the group blog Moments of Gaza. She writes:
The first day of the New Year… our gift…? since 11p.m. of the last day of 2008 till around 6 a.m. of the early hours of 2009, the Israelis sent us special fire works made in the US (not all though!)… they circumscribed our house with those very special fireworks… of course, like the rest of the world, we were not asleep.. we were awake…
Prof. Said Abdelwahed, who teaches English at Al-Azhar University, also posts at Moments in Gaza:
It's totally dark. More than 80% of the Gaza city is covered by utter darkness. One cannot see his finger in the dark! Meantime, outside, there are drones buzzing overhead, choppers roaming in the sky. Inside again, children are unwilling to go to bed despite their bed time! They are fearful of nightmares, bad dreams, bombing, explosions, and what not! The routine sounds of the air craft has been going on for more than six days and nights. And when it suddenly disappears… BANG … continuous bangs! … series of explosions. … other horrible explosions. … blasts … flames in the distance. … children jump up from their beds. Scared … frightened. … anxious … they do not know what to do! They want to hide anywhere, but there is nowhere to go too? It sounds like the bang was under their mattresses. What to do again? Just nothing but wait! How can you convince your child to wait? And to wait for what? Next, one hears ambulances sirens and fire brigades. Thus, one comes back to himself to realize that he is in Gaza and he is operating a small generator to write this message to the world in the new year 2009.
Vittorio Arrigoni is an Italian activist blogging at Guerrilla Radio:
Il nuovo anno è subentrato a quello vecchio con gli stessi auspici di morte e desolazione, elevati alla massima potenza distruttiva. Mai viste così tante bombe crollare attorno a casa mia, dinnanzi al porto. Un' esplosione a meno di 100 metri , ha scosso violentemente i 7 piani del mio palazzo, facendolo oscillare come un pendolo impazzito. Per un momento abbiamo temuto venisse giù, i vetri delle finestre sono scoppiati tutti. Momenti di panico, ho pregato iddio che il nostro edificio fosse stato costruito con criteri antisismici, ben conscio della mia effimera illusione, Gaza poggia su di una striscia di terra che non trema. Il terremoto qui è innaturale, si chiama Israele.
Laila El-Haddad, who blogs at Raising Yousuf and Noor, is in touch with her parents in Gaza every day:
When the bombs are dropped around them, they send me a quick note to inform me of what happened before running to safety. I am still not sure where “safety” is; and neither, I think, do they. It is perhaps more a mental state and place than a physical one. In any other situations, people flee to where they perceive are safer locations. In Gaza, there is no “safe”. And there is nowhere to flee to, with the borders closed, the sky and sea under siege.
Safa Joudeh has posted at the group blog Lamentations-Gaza:
I've had a lot of time to contemplate, the last few days, and looking at my siblings, I wonder how the rest of the world envisions the people who occupy the most despondent and unruly military zones in the world. My younger brothers spend their free time out with their friends, or playing basketball and soccer at youth clubs. They are passionate about sports, play station, and music. They play the guitar and are exceptional students. My brother who's in college is obsessed with computers and gadgets, he's an engineering student who comes up with the most ingenious projects for his classes. He listens to music and plays the guitar and prays regularly. He's an honor student who has big goals and big dreams. So please understand why I am infuriated when I see how we are portrayed on television. Hordes of bearded, teeth-gnashing, stone throwing blood thirsty savages in rags and tatters. […] I wonder if people would as easily accept the unsubstantiated claims that the engineering faculty building of the Islamic university, which has been flattened during the attacks, was a workshop that produced qassams, if they had seen my brother's reaction. When he came back from a walk to the university building the next day, his face was white as a sheet and he had tears in his eyes. “It's all gone he said, even the project (electric car) we've been working on all semester.” We'd seen pictures, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Did he seriously have any hope that the car had survived?
Fida Qishta, who blogs at Sunshine, is a freelance journalist, filmmaker and activist who lives in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip:
For the last year and a half the Israeli government has intensified the economic blockade of Gaza by closing all the border crossings that allow aid and essential supplies to reach Palestinians in Gaza. This forced Palestinians to dig tunnels to Egypt to survive. Israel continued talking about a military operation in the Gaza Strip, until the madness of war became inevitable for the both sides. And since it began, hundreds of Gazans have been killed. I don’t know how other people around the globe think. Did you think to be honest with yourself once to understand the truth? A handmade Palestinian rocket jeopardizes Israeli security, but the Israel’s scary F16 rockets, missiles, and the tanks don’t jeopardize Palestinian security! Israel’s military operation makes Palestinian blood fall like rain.
Canadian activist, Eva Bartlett, blogs at In Gaza, and is not planning to leave:
Approximately 435 internationals [non-Palestinians] are said to have left, from what journalists have told me, but I have no intention of doing so, we have no intention of doing so. Here are some reasons why we stay: Israel not only controls who is unable to leave Gaza, but who is unable to enter Gaza. Since November 4, Israel has banned foreign journalists from entering Gaza, making a minor exception for a few days in early December. At present, with the over 420 dead, over 2,100 injured and the many civilian homes and buildings destroyed, there is an urgent need for foreign journalists. […] 1.5 million Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip are unable to run from, escape from, these illegal attacks. My life, internationals' lives, are no more important than Palestinians’ lives. We will stay on during their suffering, in solidarity and to document the illegal acts Israel is doing, the war crimes Israel clearly does not want the world to see, to understand, and is preventing journalists from reporting. To see, to understand, means to stop Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, its contravention of international humanitarian law and international law.
Cuba: The Revolution, 50 Years After
January 1st 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Bloggers from across the region took note of the occasion, with the voices of the Cuban diaspora being some of the most outspoken.
My big, fat, Cuban family remembers the experience of being forced to flee her country:
January 1, 1959.
Fifty years ago today.
A group of bearded rebels rode into Havana (my hometown) and turned our lives upside-down.
The details of our exile include:
* constant fear
* difficult decisions
* separation from familiar places and the people we loved.I sincerely pray that in my lifetime I will get to see a free Cuba. Because fifty years under communist rule is WAY. TOO. LONG.
Another diaspora blogger, Uncommon Sense, believes that for Cuban Americans, the anniversary is not a day to be sad. He explains:
Fifty years ago, my family lost its home.
But the sadness is tempered — in fact, I hardly feel it at all — because I am free.
My only disappointment, one I hope is shared by fellow Cuban Americans, is that that same freedom does not prevail today on the island…
Cuban Americans do feel the pain of their countrymen, and we should act on that sentiment. With our freedom, comes a responsibility for Cuban Americans to aid the cause of liberty in Cuba. From the island today, we will see the usual images of marching soldiers and singing children honoring their slave masters…what you won't see are the independent journalists and human rights activists, the democracy advocates and the political prisoners, on the front lines against the evil that triumphed 50 years ago today.
Meanwhile, El Cafe Cubano republishes an article by Jose Reyes, which calls the Revolution “the biggest debacle in modern history”, and Babalu Blog, tongue firmly in cheek, comments on a story by The Washington Post:
Verdict: +70, a worthy effort by the Post on behalf of the regime. 822 words and not a single mention of firing squads, political prisoners, human rights abuses, dissidents, etc. A commendation is in order.
Some Cuban bloggers are doing just that. HavanaTimes.org focuses on the slew of activities that surrounded the occasion, another post tells of celebration despite tough economic conditions, and yet another reports that “President Raul Castro will address the nation from Santiago de Cuba on Thursday evening at the main celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.” Sunrise in Havana seems to have an answer to that, linking to a YouTube video and saying:
Five decades after the rise to power of the Castro brothers, Cuban crumbles, while the world keeps looking at the Castros as if only they were citizens of Cuba.
Boris Leonardo Caro of Bloggers Cuba [es] admits that lately, things have not been going as smoothly, and examines some important sectors of society that need improvement such as education and infrastructure. He notes that the “exodus of young professionals is also alarming.” Despite these challenges, there is still hope:
La Revolución cubana llega a sus 50 años con un complejo panorama de problemas económicos y políticos que amenazan su existencia. Sin embargo, esas mismas amenazas pueden transformarse en oportunidades para re-crear el proceso sobre bases renovadas. En pocas palabras: la Revolución necesita revolucionarse.
The Cuban Revolution reaches 50 years old with a complex panaroma of economic and political problems that threaten its existence. However, these same threats can become opportunities to recreate the process using renewed foundations. In other words: the Revolution needs to revolutionalize itself.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, bloggers also acknowledged the anniversary, with Notes From Port of Spain constructing a conversation between Fidel Castro and “a voice from among the dark trees of the Sierra Maestra”. The date? January 1st, 1959:
The revolution will last for fifty years, said the voice. You will make many mistakes, and face many difficulties. Your people will suffer. But you will not succumb, and you will still be alive to see the great anniversary.
Estupenda! cried Fidel, waving his cap in the air as he danced around the fire.
And, Fidel, one day Cuba will be welcomed into the “International Community” of capitalism, democracy and free markets with the help of a black American president … Fidel? Hello? Fidel, are you there?
But despite speculation as to how Barack Obama could respond to the US/Cuban embargo (among other issues, such as human rights abuses on the island), popular Cuban blogger Generation Y prefers instead to look forward:
Men succeed each other, ideologies collapse, leaders die and speeches get shorter; everything is under the repetitive cycle of the sun that sets and rises again. When I look from my balcony towards the rising sun, I realize how small we are, how laughable are some peoples’ pretensions of superiority.
Here is the first sun of 2009, the golden circle of light that will survive us all. I wish you a Happy New Year and may the rays of this dawn warm everyone.
Haiti: 205th Anniversary of Haitian Independence
After the disasters they went through in 2008, Haitian people celebrated the start of 2009 more or less happily - in Haiti, January 1st marks not only New Year, but also the date when in 1804, the island got independence from France, becoming the first black democracy in the world.
Some French-speaking Haitian bloggers pay homage to the anniversary while readying themselves for the difficulties their country will have to face in the future:
Darlie explains the historical events which led to the island's independence but also tells of the traditional celebration inherited by Haitians: eating “soup joumou” on January 1st [Fr]…
On raconte que du temps de la colonie, à Saint-Domingue, la soupe était très en vogue et réservée uniquement aux maîtres d'esclaves et dans la plupart des cas à certains esclaves domestiques communément appelés esclaves talentueux comme par exemple Toussaint Louverture.
Le parfum envoutant du mariage des légumes exotiques et de la viande bovine ajoutée sur les multiples revendications que les esclaves des champs murmurèrent déjà, suscitèrent chez eux le désir de révolte.
The enticing smell of local vegetables and beef meat added to the numerous claims that slaves had already secretly provoked their desire for revolt.”
While she wishes her people “a good meal”, her Season's Greetings sound more like a plea for solidarity [Fr]:
Vivons en vrai, vivons ensemble, marchons unis sur le chemin de la fraternité, de la paix et de la réconciliation
These words from Darlie are all the more interesting given Haitian President René Garcia Préval's forecast that 2009 will be “a difficult year…for Haitians” (as reported by Romandie News [Fr]) during his official visit to Gonaïves in northern Haiti. Coincidentally, Gonaïves is the historical birthplace of Haiti's independence - and also the region that suffered most from 2008's devastating hurricanes.
In the blog HaitiRectoVerso, Decky Lakyel relates with a certain amazement the early arrival of the Haitian government officials in Gonaives, one day before the official date of the celebration. Blogging about an interview heard on Radio Kiskeya, he explains the double motivation of this early visit:
Le ministre confie que le séjour inhabituel de 48 heures des membres de l’Exécutif dans la Cité de l’indépendance pour marquer les 205 ans de l’épopée haïtienne, représente une « manifestation de reconnaissance de l’importance symbolique » de lieux fondateurs de l’histoire nationale.
Outre les activités officielles, le Président Préval, la Première ministre Pierre-Louis et leurs principaux collaborateurs auront l’occasion de s’entretenir avec les victimes des intempéries qui avaient durement frappé les Gonaïves.
Besides the official program, President Preval, Prime Minister Pierre-Louis and their team will have the opportunity to talk with the victims of the disasters which struck Gonaives so brutally.
But after reading the last post of Haitian blogger Stanley Lucas in Solutionhaiti, it is quite obvious that not everyone is convinced by these efforts.
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Gaza: Overseas Solidarity
The word goes that because of insularity, West Indians are not very much concerned with what is going on abroad and probably even less when it is not about Europe or the USA. However, the recent news coming from Gaza and the Middle East have had an impact on one Guadeloupe-based blogger: D. Zandwonis from CaribCreoleOne, recalls the historical and steady immigration of Syrians and Lebanese people in the West Indies [Fr]:
Et pourtant, chacun ici connaît un « syrien », même si en réalité, nos « syriens » sont souvent des libanais, parfois des palestiniens. Depuis des décennies, ces « syriens » se sont installés en Guadeloupe, en Martinique, à Trinidad ou en Dominique, ils se sont très vite intégrés à nos pays au point d’en partager les « mœurs et coutumes ». La Guadeloupe, il est bon de le rappeler de temps à autre, est une mosaïque ethnique
Though he understands the different stakes in this very complex conflict, he really insists on the empathy felt by West Indians from the Middle East for their brothers who are still in Gaza:
Comment croire que les enfants de Gaza, ou leurs cousins de Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France ou Port of Spain, qui voient ainsi tomber les uns après les autres leurs frères et sœurs, aient dans le cœur autre chose que de l’amertume ?
Later, he informs his readers about two Martinican associations: PKLS (Creole for Communist Party for Independence and Socialism) and Comité de Solidarité Martinique Palestine (the Martinique-Palestine Solidarity Association), which have both denounced the December 27th attack and launched the idea of a big protest march scheduled for Saturday, January 3rd 2009, in Fort-de-France. A comment to Zandwonis's post from Comité de Solidarité Martinique Palestine explains the goal of the association [Fr]:
C'est le “Comité de Solidarité Martinique-Palestine”, qui oeuvre depuis bientôt 10 ans pour faire connaître la tragédie du peuple-frère de Palestine aux Martiniquais…
This call to action from the two associations has triggered a reaction from famous Martinican writer Raphaël Confiant entitled “Israel Massacre 300 Palestiniens en 2 Jours” (”Israel slaughters 300 Palestinians in 2 days”).
By the end of his post, Zandwonis sheds light on another aspect of the conflict, which he deems very important for West Indians - Obama's reaction to the attacks.
Obama est silencieux, sans doute embarrassé. Il attendra le 20 janvier pour « dire » quelque chose.
On Dec. 28th, Bondamanjak from Martinique posted Massacre in Gaza (Slaughter in Gaza), a post condemning the atrocities committed by Israel and illustrated with a black, white, red and green (colors of the Palestinian flag) picture of Pro-Palestine demonstrators.
Russia: Bloggers Debate Immunization of Children
One of the most popular health-related topics discussed by Russian bloggers is that of the immunization of children. Current digital media discussions reflect to a great extent debates that are taking place in traditional media in many post-Soviet countries. Although immunization has been mandatory in these countries since the time of the Soviet Union, more and more parents are now refusing to vaccinate their children. In most cases parents are basing this decision on arguments they find on the Internet or in other media.
It is much easier to find bloggers in the Russian-speaking blogosphere who do not support mass immunization than authors who support it. You can find arguments about the ineffectiveness of vaccination in many blogs. These arguments are very well summarized in the blog of helien_ln blog (RUS):
Production of vaccines is the most profitable part of the pharmaceutical business. A part of earned profits are directed to funding so-called “scientific research,” which just has to “prove” that the vaccine is effective and safe.
Vaccines are poisons. They include aluminum, and other toxins …
Vaccines are often based on animal cells and might contain viruses …
The introduction of vaccines in mass usage during the last two centuries has been associated with threatening, scary effects, and the omission of some facts and falsified statistics.
There is no evidence that it was immunization which helped humanity fight some of the infectious diseases. There are statistical data which show that the spreading of diseases such as TB, malaria, pox had decreased dramatically before mass immunization was introduced. This happened due to the improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions, like better veterinary and food control, chlorination of water, etc.
Annually immunization could be a reason for the death and bad health of thousands of children all over the world. It ruins the immune system of a baby.
Immunization reflects only traditional approaches to understanding infectious diseases, which is not the only possible approach.
Mass immunization totally ignores the individual characteristics of a person, the state of their immune system, and other individual features of a human being.
If a vaccine is a cause of death or injury, medical authorities will obviously do everything to prove that this happened not because of immunization.
Blogger Irena Slavina is one of the few supporters of immunization in the Russian-speaking blog community. One of the reasons she thinks immunization is a good choice for her baby is because of the reputation of pharmaceutical companies. She says (RUS):
Can you imagine all the procedures that a new vaccine has to go through before it will be approved for mass immunization? These is pre-licensing, post-licensing, the monitoring of side effects, government drug certification…
I think that none of the big pharmaceutical companies are interested in a bad reputation of its product. Companies are very concerned about the quality of their products, otherwise they will go bankrupt. If a country chooses vaccine A for mass diphtheria immunization and the next year a country faces a diphtheria epidemic, then this pharmaceutical company would face very serious problems. Nobody likes problems.
She goes on to talk about how, though vaccines are poisons, they can still be beneficial:
Antibiotics are also very harmful for our health but at the same time they help save millions of lives. Often poisons under certain conditions may actually heal the disease… I believe that I have made the least dangerous choice for my child, but you are free to make any other choice. I believe in the accomplishments of modern medicine, but you have a right not to trust any doctors or drugs. But to reject blindly the entire benefits of immunization based just on popular Internet articles sounds really silly for me.
Finally, Irena Slavina points out that vaccines were not created to kill babies, but rather to help them:
I am sure that whoever started mass immunizations a hundred years ago were not unprofessional people and they were not more stupid than me. They did not have any intentions to kill babies. The immunization schedules were developed based on the most dangerous time periods in the life of children. Just think about how many years of medical studies were devoted to developing the immunization schedule and enforcing them all over the country. Just think about the required experience, knowledge, sharing of data… After all this, I, who had just read a few Internet articles, cannot say that immunization is bad as I know better what my child needs.
Sri Lanka: Mission Accomplished?
The president of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakshe officially announced that the government troops have captured LTTE rebel's de facto headquarters Kilinochchi after suffering heavy loss in the battle.
The government has so far been able to be on top the situation but heavy battles are likely still to lie ahead as reports are coming up that rebels have shifted to further North-East. It is interesting to see that both the opponents in this civil war have been using Internet to enforce their news and views quite emphatically.
Sri Lankan Army News has broken the news with photographs in Nowpublic:
Sri Lankan Brave Soldiers a moment ago captured Kilinochchi Town totally after hours long fighting with LTTE on January 2nd 2009. […] Few Artillery shots hit by fleeing Ltte tigers from Mulathivu direction. [..] Troops captured Kilinochchi railway station and Hospital today noon.
DefenceNet reports that Sri Lankans are celebrating this victory:
Jubilant crowds from various parts of Sri Lanka could be observed lighting firecrackers and waving national flags in celebration of security force’s latest victory.
Conundrum says:
Celebrations all around Colombo and other cities. One can say today is the real dawn of the new year for Sri Lanka.
Graphics courtesy Namal. See more pictures of the war in War Photos site by Namal.
However TamilNet.tv has indicated that this is not a defeat:
The great Thalaivar in his infinite wisdom has decided to order the LTTE to Tactically withdraw® from Tamil Eelam’s capital and do the Tamil Eelam marathon to Mullaitivu. Killinochchi has in effect being tactically relocated to Tharmapuram.
Chitrangi posts some disturbing pictures showing the civilian victims of the Sri Lankan Air Force Bombings on the LTTE rebel holdouts.
Rantings in Colombo… wrote a poem reacting to the news:
Congrats for Kilinochchi
I type with the sound of fireworks in the background.
The sound of hope from many a Sri Lankan.
Mahinda on TV, words I want to believe.
But controlling the media makes me wonder,
Is this really a two sided story?
Or a strategy planned, just before elections?
Who knows. Probably only him.
Violence still continued elsewhere in the country. A Voice in Colombo reports that LTTE has striked again in Colombo:
A suicide blast occurred opposite the Sri Lanka Air force office near Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo a while ago.
At least two Air Force personnel were killed and around 30 people including nine airmen were hurt.
B Raman from India asks “is the mission accomplished“?
The end of the LTTE's campaign will come not when it loses an important piece of territory, but when it loses the support of the Tamil people in the areas still controlled by it and in the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.
Thumbnail courtesy Open Democracy
Links for Fri, 2009-01
One of Trinidadian blogger Nicholas Laughlin's favourite columnists is fired from a mainstream newspaper, prompting him to comment: “It's sad and frankly embarrassing that the Express apparently thinks there is no place for a writer like B.C. Pires in our national conversation.”
Aamna at Lahore Metblogs discusses about the state of Punjabi language in Pakistan.
Hamas is not Palestine, asserts Israeli Mom's Delphine Schrank. “If you support the Palestinians and have their best interest at heart, you should not be supporting Hamas. This current clash is between Israel and Hamas - not Israel and the Palestinians - so think carefully before you rush out to show your support.”
Israeli bloggers Jameel of The Muqata and Dave of Israellycool are liveblogging the war with Gaza. Their up to the minute coverage includes photos, videos, and news clips that from all perspectives in the Israeli population. Jameel also has a Twitter page here.
David Bogner of Treppenwitz gives five reasons why Israel shouldn't allow foreign journalists into Gaza. “In Lebanon we had to fight a war on two fronts: on the battlefield against an illegitimate terrorist army, and in the media against foreign dupes who printed whatever this illegitimate terrorist army told them/allowed them to see. We couldn't do anything about that because we didn't control the battlefield. But in Gaza we do.”
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